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ORBÁN CONDEMNS VIOLENT PROTESTERS

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has condemned violence by protesters at recent demonstrations against the amendment to the labour code.

No one can be allowed to engage in violence, Orbán said in his regular interview to public broadcaster Kossuth Radio. The prime minister said a clear line must be drawn between political expression and vandalism. The most aggressive and most active of those protesting the amendment are on the payroll of US financier George Soros, Orbán insisted. He added that the demonstrations were also in part linked to international networks. Orbán said he also saw traces of this internationally, arguing that “right-wing governments have come under fire everywhere”.
Parliament last week voted to raise the upper threshold for annual overtime from 250 to 400 hours. The legislation was signed by President János Áder on Thursday.
Orbán criticised the damage caused by protesters on Kossuth Square, saying that it was “a serious thing in legal terms” to throw smoke bombs at police. He said he had asked the interior minister to make sure that police respond “firmly but patiently” to protesters’ actions. “And they managed to do just that,” he added, reaffirming the government’s support for the police force.